Journal-box lubrication



Unidrta lefoffic This invention relatesto improven-tents`iin"v` car journalbearings, and 'inore particularly to` th carjournal bearings,'wherebfjthe use@ of such particular materials bringsY aboutnewgf'improved, unexpected and beneficial results. s Y u 011e .Off them'OSt. Ssrus Problems Qf .rallradsjis the hot-box. Despite' manyifimanyyears .of "reseA chgand attempts to improve railway car journalbearingsj'fthese journal bearings still vget hotanjd bring aboutbreakdowns inequipment; s' One of theprincipal `causes lof the hct`boxt'is`V use of conventional cottonwasteasl'thefrnatei'ial forapplying lubricant to` the railway car journal bearing. J'In the usualrailway car journal bearii1gs,`fthe stutling'fbox in which the bearingisloca'tedfhas af rnas's of'cotton= waste located inV the'bottom1portionthereofjxvli hjrnassjof waste is soaked with lubricant. A s .thurnal, tu 1jns, lubricant is appliedjto the journ I fffrorn tliecottou'waste. Unfortunately, as the` journal lr'otates',Y sometimes spine ofthe cotton waste is picked up'by tliejournalandis carried between thejournal and the yjournal .bearing,orE brass as it issometimes reference;Oncetheroffsm waste gers between the journal ,and 'tl'e journal brass;it'kisMburned, carbonized, or c olfedA by. the;l hig 'ftemper'turecaused by friction between the journal'`a`nd thel` ea`rin`gf- E Thecarbonizingorpokingof the cottonwastefresult's abrasive whichfscores diejournalq4 'A" scfredjournal is more apt to grab onpickup' cottonwasteand draglfit between the journal vand the'.journahbrassfjani thus,once the `journal is s oedthe tendency t' get `a1hot`bo x, is greatlyincreased'. l

in a gritty substance, vand'this vgritty substance' actsa'san thejournal in dragging cotton waste up..lbetggeen the b journal and thejotrnalbrass. How e'igjnne of these devices have/been: fully vrelctiifand s'rlldng as cotton waste is'use'd for feeding kor applyinguoil;` totHe/journal, some of the cotton wastelyvill be ,draggedf' up bt'weentliejournal and the journal brass.

Most of the devices tried, to date, to prevent waste grabs by thejournal comprise retainers for holding the cotton waste tightly againstthe underside of the journal and for preventing the cotton waste fromcreeping up between the journal and the journal brass. The lack ofsuccess of these retainers is due,k in large part, to the fact that aslightly scored journal picks up cotton waste and drags the cotton waste`past the retainer'into the journal brass.

Thus, one of the objects of this invention is to provide means foreliminating the above referred to causes of hot-boxes in railway carjournal bearings.

Another object of this invention is to provide a lubricated journal forrailway cars wherein the` possibility of hot-boxes by reason ofcarbonizing or Coking of the lubricant applicator is eliminated, andwhereby waste retainers may be eliminated from the journal-box.

,fuse fof f particular materials as lubricant applicators in L"railwayyresindus*'ber a lollirnkboxes; 4a

-p1astie,f-'restitans?finerr has `the propertyofnieuing y liquid stateat the, elevatedA effu l'abra'ssf t of `such athermoplastic,ame-resistan s' tlief ubr'icnt "applicator, vif4 some"off'the material' isI j' carried by the journal intojth th letedtenjpe'ratures inthe ij in wefrialA melt tofla liquid Siate and'range of,teinperatuy u t slsevement 1s si t9'r sbav/gita@ s t, 911. 12fillet l24 a journal. .v

The opposite'sides of the journal bearing 12 engage vertical guide ribs26:-'26 formed on the opposed inner side facesof the journal box 16.-Lugs 28-28 on said bearing IZ-engage the forward faces of` theguideribs 2 6-26 to hold the bearing in position. The inner end of'thewedge 14'engages an upstanding collar portion 30 formed on thebearinglZ, and the other end of the wedge Y14 is positionedV back of alug 32 located near the open side of the journal box 16.

Lubricant is applied to journal 10 and to the bearing ainedbysubstitutng, forgthef body of cetton'zyvast tioned beneath the journalso as to extend .upwardly at .the sides .of the journal toa positionnear, butlpreferably slightly `below the center of the ljournal 10. Aportion of ythe b ody ofmateriall maybe formadas a wedge 3 8 positionedin 'the forward portion of ythe box 16 to prevent cinders or grit fromfinding entrance to the main body ofthe lubricant applyingmaterial34.

The body of lubricant applying material 34 is formed of thermoplastic,flame-resistant, res'inousbers as yabove set 1forth and as morethoroughly described as follows,

Ihe absorbent materials suitable for use in the novel journal bearingstructure of this invention are thermoplastic resinous bers having amelting point within the range o t 225 lto 400 These fibers unlikecotton, rayon, wool or silk, are characterized by their ability tosoften Yand ,melt Yupon subjection :to heat without the formation of,gritty carbon or coke which, as pointed out aboye, so seriously fouls.the bearings. The resins from which these tbers are made are capable ofresisting d ecomposition and of retaining their-original chemicalcomposition Aafter melting within the temperature range of 225 to 400 P.

The thermoplastic libers are preferably -bibulous multilarnentary staplefibers or yarns, since the physical structureof such fibers renders thembetter capable of absorbing the liquid lubricant, e. g. mineral oils,used in the journal box. For this reason the monotilamentary vfibersSometimes produced from these thermoplastic resins are not Aas wellsuited, although a mass of such fibers, wettable -by the liquidlubricant, may be useful. Preferably, however, -the fibers .are bothwettable by the lubricant and vpossess a bibulous multilamentarystructure.

It is anticipated that fibers prepared from the following thermoplasticorganic resins can -be employed in the practice of this invention;polyamides, polyacrylonit-rile, cellulose acetate, copolymers ofacrylonitrile and vinyl chloride, copolymers of vinyl chloride and vinylacetate, copolymers of .vinylidene chloride and vinyl chloride,polyesters and -polyvinylchloride Other fiber-forming resins having theabove enumerated .physical .and chemical properties will be apparent tothose skilled in .the art.

While there has been shown and described a particular embodiment of thisinvention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that variouschanges and modifications may be made therein without departing from theinvenytion and, therefore, it is intended in .the appended claims to-cover `all such .changes and modifications as fall Within thetruespirit and sc opeof .the invention.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure .by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is:

l. In combination, a railway car journal bearing structure, and meansincluding .a body of absorbent material normally impregnated with aliquid lubricant and Vpositioned to apply said lubricantn to saidstructure,'s aid absorbent material comprising thermoplastic resinousfibers vhaving a meiting point within lthe range of 225 to 400 F.

arenasi 2. In combination, a railway car journal bearing structure, andmeans including abody o'f absorbent material normally impregnated with aliquid lubricant and positioned to apply said lubricant to saidstructure, said absorbent material comprising bibulous thermoplasticresinous iibers wettable thy-.the 4lubricant and having a meltingpoinLwithintherangeof 225 to 400 F.

3. In combination, a railway car journal bearing structure,andfmeansiincluding atbodyfof absorbent material normally impregnatedrwith va liquid lubricant and posi- 1tionetl :to `apply- -said lubricantlto -said structure, said absorbent-:material comprising bibulousthermoplastic resinous tibers having a melting point within the range 0f225 to A400 iF.,1said1 bers being .wettable by the lubricant and capableof retaining substantially the original chemical composition-thereof4after melting within said temperature range. y

4. In combination.arailwayicar journal bearing structure,andgmeansgincluding a bodyzofabsorbent material normally :impregnatedwith a liquid .lubricant and posivtioned to apply said lubricant to saidstructure, said absorbent material ,comprising multilamentary organicthermoplastic resinous bers having a melting point within the range of225 to 400 P., said libers being .wettable bythe lubricant and capableAof .retaining ,substantia'lly'the original chemical composition thereofafter melting withinsaid ,temperature mange.

5,'In a railroad car journal bearing structure which includesa railroadcarjournal bearingand means including a body/ Of .absorbent materialnormally impregnated with a liquid lubricant and vpositioned to vapplysaid liquid .lubricant to ,the journal bearing, the improvement whereinsaid absorbent material .comprises .thermoplastic resinous bershavingameltingpoint within the range of 225 to 4001F.

6. In a railroad Acar journal bearing structure which includes arailroad carjournalbearing and means includin g fa body of absorbentmaterial normally impregnated with Va 'liquid lubricant and :positionedto apply said liquid lubricant to the journal bearing, the improvementwherein said absorbent -material comprises bibulous thermoplasticresinous 1fibers Wettable by the lubricant and 'havinga melting pointVwithin the range of 225 .to

"References 'Cited in the .tile of this patent UNIIED YSTAT-ias PATENTSRunner May 23, 1939 Homer Oct. 16, '195'1

1. IN COMBINATION, A RAILWAY CAR JOURNAL BEARING STRUCTURE, AND MEANSINCLUDING A BODY OF ABSORBENT MATERIAL NORMALLY IMPREGNATED WITH ALIQUID LUBRICANT AND POSITIONED TO APPLY SAID LUBRICANT TO SAIDSTRUCTURE, SAID ABSORBENT MATERIAL COMPRISING THERMOSPLASTIC RESINOUSFIBERS HAVING A MELTING POINT WITHIN THE RANGE OF 225* TO 400* C.